Zpacks Hexamid Solo Plus

I bought a Hexamid Solo Plus in Septempber because I thought I'd like to save some weight for my upcoming PCT hike (2015). I opted for the heavier material, which added 1.5 oz to the tent's total weight and cost an additional $15 bucks. The total weight (tent, beak, groundsheet, landyards, stakes) was 20.5 oz. I can't say enough good things about Zpacks, the quality of their products, and their customer service. Having said all those good things, here is a review of the Hexamit Solo Plus.

If you haven't looked into cuben fiber, you should. If not for tents, at least as a stuff sack, rain jacket, poncho, or a nifty shoulder pouch that Zpacks also sells. The material is sliglty noisy (not as much as tyvek), and weighs almost nothing. It's also very waterproof. As far as damaging the material, I belive the only issue is with punctures. It has a fairly high tensile strength and resists tearing from tension quite well.

The Hexamid was my first experience with a single wall tent, and I should have read more about them (single wall tents) before heading out into the wild. For my first night, I found a beautiful tent site next to a lake. The condensation was so thick it was raining inside my Hexamid (not a cloud in the sky). So, I'm not going to fault the tent for all the condensation.. In the morning, it was really nice to just shake the tent and most of the water shook off just fine.

Aside from the overall condensation issue, there is also the steep angle of the tent edges to deal with. The groundsheet/bathtub that fits inside the tent is quite large, but you can't really use all the space. The angle from the entry (where hiking pole is situated) towards the back is steep and there isn't much room for a hiker (or gear you want to stay dry) towards the back of the tent. The ends (i.e. hiker head & toe ends) also have a steep angle and the possibility of touching the tent (and getting wet) can be a problem during high condensation trips. As you can probably see, my issues with the tent involve condensation, and had I properly scouted out a site away from the water and closer to a ridge, I would have probably been just fine. So I suppose this review is two-fold, where not to camp, and the minor issues with the Hexamid. Just to be clear...the wetness issues are totally from condensation, and not from the tent leaking.

I believe the steep angles of the Hexamid may have been purposely developed to aid in the condensation runoff (maybe?). I returned my Hexamid after only one night, and decided to carry another 22 oz (42oz total) and purchased a Big Agnes Copper Spur UL1. It's a double wall tent and shouldn't have the same condensation problems.

If I get the urge to try another single wall tent (cuben fiber) it will probably be the Zpacks Duplex Tent. It uses two poles, has two doors, and eliminates at least half of the steep angles associated with the Hexamid. It does, however weight  5 oz more. I'm sure it would feel like a palace for one hiker since it's made for two.

One last thought...I really liked how quickly the Hexamid set up and was taken down.
Also, I bet the Hexamid would be great to set up in the rain. I didn't get to experience this, but I have set up a double wall tent (REI quarterdome 1) in a downpour. Not worrying about keeping rain off the tent body would make set up much easier.

Mt Rainier from near Chinook Pass

Camp site near Cougar Lake